CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction explained

The CWA ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction also called the ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction is a British literary award established in 1978 by the Crime Writers' Association, who have awarded the CWA Gold Dagger for fiction since 1955. It is sponsored by the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society, and is open to "any non-fiction work on a crime-related theme by an author of any nationality as long as the book was first published in the UK in English during the judging period."^[1] The prize is a cheque for £1,000 (reduced in 2009 from £2,000)^[2] and a decorative dagger.

In 1978 and 1979 only there was also a silver award. From 1995 to 2002 it was sponsored by The Macallan (Scotch whisky brand) and known as The Macallan Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction. In 2008 the award was sponsored by Owatonna Media (a London-based literary brand investor and owner). Between 2006 and 2010 it was awarded every other year, in even-numbered years, but in 2011 it returned as an annual award.

Winners and shortlists

Year! scope="col"

Author	Title	Publisher	Result
1978				Winner (joint)	[3]
1978				Winner (joint)
1979	and Douglas Sutherland	Fraud		Winner (joint)
1979		Rachman		Winner (joint)
1980	and Robbyn Swan	Conspiracy		Winner
1981		Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number		Winner
1982		Earth to Earth		Winner
1983		Double Dealer: How Five Art Dealers, Four Policemen, Three Picture Restorers, Two Auction Houses and a Journalist Plotted to Recover Some of the World's Most Beautiful Stolen Paintings		Winner
1984		In God's Name		Winner
1985		Killing for Company		Winner
1986		Evil Angels		Winner
1987	and Stephen Knight	Perfect Murder		Winner
1988				Winner
1989				Winner
1990				Winner
1991		Giordano Bruno and the Embassy Affair		Winner
1992				Winner
1993		Murder in the Heart		Winner
1994				Winner
1995		Dead Not Buried		Winner
1996				Winner
1997				Winner
1998		Cries Unheard: Why Children Kill - The Story of Mary Bell		Winner
1999			Viking	Winner	[4]
			Doubleday	Shortlist
			Hodology Ltd.	Shortlist
2000		Mr. Blue: Memoirs of a Renegade	No Exit Press	Winner	[5] [6]
		Wainewright the Poisoner	Faber and Faber	Shortlist
			Fourth Estate	Shortlist
		Richard Elias and Peter Walsh, Cocky	Milo Books	Shortlist
		Bloggs 19	Warner Books	Shortlist
2001	and Martin Maynard, with Tony Thompson		Penguin	Winner	[7]
		Patriot Traitors: Roger Casement, John Amery and the Real Meaning of Treason	Viking Press	Shortlist
		Maggots, Murder and Men: Memories and Reflections of a Forensic Entomologist	Harley Books	Shortlist
2002		Dead Man's Wages: The Secrets of a London Conman and His Family	Picador	Winner	[8]
	and Kathleen Becker	Scene of the Crime: a Guide to the Landscapes of British Detective FictionJudged to be outside the scope of the award but worthy of commendation	Aurum	Special mention
	, with Marika Huns and Hamish McGregor	Town Without Pity: the Fight to Clear Stephen Downing of the Bakewell Murder	Century	Shortlist
		Anthony Blunt, His Lives	Macmillan	Shortlist
2003		Pointing from the Grave: a True Story of Murder and DNA	Hamish Hamilton	Winner	[9]
		Imprint of the Raj: the Colonial Origin of Fingerprinting and its Voyage to Britain	Macmillan	Shortlist
			John Murray	Shortlist
			Doubleday	Shortlist
		Wicked Beyond Belief: the Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper	HarperCollins	Shortlist
		Gang War: the Inside Story of the Manchester Gangs	Milo Books	Shortlist
2004		Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia	Hodder & Stoughton	Winner	[10]
			Jonathan Cape	Winner
	and Damian Lewis	Slave: The True Story of a Girl's Lost Childhood and her Fight for Survival	Time Warner	Shortlist
			Hamish Hamilton	Shortlist
			Telos Publishing	Shortlist
2005		On The Run: a Mafia childhood	Hutchinson	Winner	[11]
			HarperCollins	Shortlist
			Century	Shortlist
			Little, Brown	Shortlist
			HarperCollins	Shortlist
2006	, Lee Sheldon, and Kathryn Abnet	(The Borough of Barking and Dagenham)		Winner	[12]
			Michael Joseph	Shortlist
			Fourth Estate	Shortlist
			Canterbury Press	Shortlist
		And Then the Darkness: The Fascinating Story of the Disappearance of Peter Falconio and the Trials of Joanne Lees	John Blake	Shortlist
		Under and Alone: The True Story of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America's Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang	Mainstream	Shortlist
2007	Not awarded. It was decided that the award was to become a biennial award.				[13]
2008		Nationality: Wog - The Hounding of David Oluwale	Random House	Winner	[14] [15]
		Violation: Justice, Race and Serial Murder in the Deep South	HarperPress	Shortlist
			Bantam Press	Shortlist
			Atlantic Books	Shortlist
			Bloomsbury	Shortlist
		Into the Darkness: 7/7	Vintage Books	Shortlist
2009	Not awarded as award had become biennial.
2010		Aftermath: The Omagh Bombing & the Families' Pursuit of Justice	Harvill Secker	Winner	[16]
		Defending the Guilty	Penguin / Viking	Shortlist
		Killing Time	Heinemann	Shortlist
		Major Farran's Hat	Heinemann	Shortlist
	, with Mario Spezi		Virgin / Random House	Shortlist
			Simon & Schuster	Shortlist
2011			Simon & Schuster	Winner	[17]
		Slaughter on a Snowy Morn	Icon Books	Shortlist
			HarperCollins	Shortlist
		Mr Briggs' Hat	Little, Brown	Shortlist
			Michael Joseph	Shortlist
2012	and Robbyn Swan		Transworld	Winner	[18] [19]
			Little, Brown	Highly commended
	with Carol Ann Lee	Witness	Mainstream	Shortlist	[20]
		Hood Rat	Pan Macmillan	Shortlist
		To Live Outside the Law	Serpent’s Tail	Shortlist
		Dark Market	Vintage	Shortlist
2013		Midnight in Peking	Penguin / Viking	Winner	[21] [22]
			Pan Macmillan	Highly commended
			Mainstream	Shortlist
		Injustice: Life and Death in the Courtrooms of America	Random House	Shortlist
		Murder at Wrotham Hill	Quercus	Shortlist
	with Damien Lewis	Against a Tide of Evil	Mainstream	Shortlist
2014	and Cathy Scott-Clark		Viking	Winner	[23] [24] [25]
		Life After Death: Eighteen Years on Death Row	Atlantic Books	Shortlist
		Manson	Simon & Schuster	Shortlist
		Did She Kill Him?	Little, Brown Book Group	Shortlist
	and Rob Evans		Faber and Faber	Shortlist
			Simon & Schuster	Shortlist
2015		In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile	Quercus	Winner	[26] [27]
		One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway	Virago	Shortlist
		Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption	Scribe	Shortlist
		Gun Baby Gun: A Bloody Journey Into the World of the Gun	Canongate	Shortlist
		Ghettoside: Investigating a Homicide Epidemic	Bodley Head	Shortlist
			Penguin	Shortlist
2016		You Could Do Something Amazing With Your Life [You Are Raoul Moat]	Scribe	Winner	[28]
			Bloomsbury	Shortlist
			Faber and Faber	Shortlist
			HarperCollins	Shortlist
		Jeremy Hutchinson’s Case Histories	John Murray	Shortlist
		Sexy Beasts: The Hatton Garden Mob	Quercus	Shortlist
2017		Close but No Cigar: A True Story of Prison Life in Castro's Cuba	Weidenfeld & Nicolson	Winner	[29]
			Jonathan Cape	Shortlist
			Text Publishing	Shortlist
		Another Day in the Death of America	Guardian / Faber and Faber	Shortlist
			Bloomsbury	Shortlist
			The History Press	Shortlist
2018		Blood on the Page	William Heinemann	Winner	[30] [31]
			Macmillan	Shortlist
		Killers of the Flower Moon	Simon & Schuster	Shortlist
		Rex v Edith Thompson	Head of Zeus	Shortlist
		Black Dahlia Red Rose	Coronet	Shortlist
	and Ken Armstrong		Hutchinson	Shortlist
2019			Viking	Winner	[32]
		Murder by the Book	Viking	Shortlist
			Doubleday	Shortlist
			Hutchinson	Shortlist
			Canongate	Shortlist
		All That Remains	Doubleday	Shortlist
2020		Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee	William Heinemann	Winner	[33] [34] [35]
			Profile Books	Shortlist
		Honour: Achieving Justice for Banaz Mahmod	Oneworld Publications	Shortlist
		Corrupt Bodies	Icon Books	Shortlist
			Simon & Schuster	Shortlist
			Picador	Shortlist
2021		Written in Bone	Doubleday, Penguin	Winner	[36] [37]
		These Are Not Gentle People	MacLehose	Shortlist	[38]
		We Keep the Dead Close	William Heinemann, Penguin	Shortlist
		Agent Sonya	Viking, Penguin	Shortlist
		Dancing with the Octopus	Profile Books	Shortlist
			Bloomsbury	Shortlist
2022			Profile Books	Winner	[39] [40] [41]
			Canongate	Shortlist	[42] [43]
			Faber and Faber	Shortlist
			Atlantic Books; Grove Press UK	Shortlist
		Empire of Pain	Pan Macmillan; Picador	Shortlist
			Penguin Random House; Harvill Secker	Shortlist
2023		Unlawful Killings: Life, Love and Murder: Trials at the Old Bailey	Transworld	Winner	[44] [45]
		Tremors in the Blood	HarperCollins	Shortlist	[46]
		About a Son	Orion Publishing Group	Shortlist
		To Hunt a Killer	HarperCollins	Shortlist
			HarperCollins	Shortlist
			Icon Books	Shortlist
2024			Simon & Schuster	Shortlist	[47] [48]
	with John Murray	No Ordinary Day	Ad Lib Publishers	Shortlist
	with Douglas Thompson	Devil’s Coin	Ad Lib Publishers	Shortlist
		Seventy Times Seven	Bedford Square Publishers	Shortlist
	and Keina Yoshida	How Many More Women?	Endeavor	Shortlist
		Ian Fleming: The Complete Man	VIntage	Shortlist

External links

• CWA website: The CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction

Notes and References

1. Web site: ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . 19 May 2024 . . en . 13 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231013221603/https://thecwa.co.uk/awards-and-competitions/the-daggers/alcs-gold-dagger-for-non-fiction/ . live .
2. News: Allen . Katie . CWA faces prize cuts . 19 May 2024 . The Bookseller . 5 October 2009 . En.
3. Web site: Past winners . The Crime Writers’ Association . 19 May 2024 . en. List created by search for "Winner" and "Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction"
4. Web site: 2001-04-05 . The CWA the Macallan Gold Dagger . https://web.archive.org/web/20010405053013/http://www.thecwa.co.uk/cgi-bin/frame.pl?awards.html . 2001-04-05 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
5. Web site: 2000 . The CWA Dagger Awards 2000 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090224093925/http://thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2000/index.html . 2009-02-24 . 2009-02-21 . Crime Writers’ Association.
6. Web site: 2001-06-02 . The Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Awards . https://web.archive.org/web/20010602041224/http://www.thecwa.co.uk:80/cgi-bin/frame.pl?awards.html . 2001-06-02 . 2023-11-26 . Crime Writers' Association.
7. Web site: CWA: Shortlist for the 2001 Macallan Daggers for Non-fiction . https://web.archive.org/web/20020415063656fw_/http://www.thecwa.co.uk/awards/non.html . 2002-04-15 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
8. Web site: 2002 . The CWA The Macallan Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090123222102/http://thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2002/non.html . 2009-01-23 . 2009-02-21 . Crime Writers' Association.
9. Web site: 2003 . The 2003 Gold Dagger Award for Non-Fiction . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090124022232/http://thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2003/non.html . 2009-01-24 . 2009-02-20 . Crime Writers’ Association.
10. Web site: 2004 . The CWA's 2004 Non-Fiction Gold Dagger Award . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090123221802/http://thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2004/non.html . 2009-01-23 . 2009-02-11 . Crime Writers' Association.
11. Web site: 2005 . CWA Dagger for Non-Fiction . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090123221840/http://thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2005/non.html . 2009-01-23 . 2009-02-11 . Crime Writers’ Association.
12. Web site: 2006 . The CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090123222133/http://thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2006/non.html . 2009-01-23 . 2009-02-08 . Crime Writers' Association.
13. Web site: 2009-02-10 . The Duncan Lawrie and CWA Daggers 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090210093534/http://thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2007/index.html . 2009-02-10 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
14. Web site: 2008 . The CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090124004100/http://thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2008/non.html . 2009-01-24 . 2009-02-08 . Crime Writers' Association.
15. Web site: 2008 . CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction shortlist . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090107084103/http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2008shortlists/non.html . 2009-01-07 . 2009-02-08 . Crime Writers' Association.
16. Web site: 2010 . The CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110902112131/http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2010/non.html . 2011-09-02 . 2011-09-17 . Crime Writers' Association.
17. Web site: 2011 . The CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110912061338/http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2011/non.html . 2011-09-12 . 2011-09-17 . Crime Writers' Association.
18. Web site: 2012-10-21 . CWA Dagger for Non-fiction: 2012 winners Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan . https://web.archive.org/web/20121021062245/http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2012/non.html . 2012-10-21 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
19. Web site: 2012-07-10 . Awards: Frank O'Connor Short Story; CWA Daggers . 2024-05-19 . . 7 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230207081612/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=1779 . live .
20. Web site: 2012-05-26 . 2012 CWA Dagger shortlists announced . 2024-05-19 . Crimespree Magazine . en-US . 19 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240519171304/https://crimespreemag.com/2012-cwa-dagger-shortlists-announced/ . live .
21. Web site: 2013-07-29 . Paul French wins 2013 CWA Dagger for Non-fiction . https://web.archive.org/web/20130729062417/http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2013/non.html . 2013-07-29 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
22. Web site: 2013-07-17 . Awards: SCBWI Late Bloomer; CWA Daggers . 2024-05-19 . . 31 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230331222730/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2041 . live .
23. Web site: 2014-12-03 . CWA Non-Fiction Dagger . https://web.archive.org/web/20141203080627/http://thecwa.co.uk/the-daggers/categories/non-fiction/ . 2014-12-03 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
24. Web site: 2014-07-02 . Awards: CWA Daggers . 2024-05-19 . . 20 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231120121440/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2288 . live .
25. Web site: 2014-07-01 . Winners for 2014 CWA Dagger Awards . 2024-05-19 . Crimespree Magazine . en-US . 2 June 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160602040200/http://crimespreemag.com/winners-for-2014-cwa-dagger-awards/ . live .
26. Web site: ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-fiction 2015 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200730203811/https://thecwa.co.uk/in-plain-sight-the-life-and-lies-of-jimmy-savile . 30 July 2020 . 2020-09-08 . The Crime Writers' Association.
27. Web site: 2015-07-02 . Awards: Desmond Elliott; CWA Daggers . 2024-05-19 . . 18 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230518110156/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2541 . live .
28. Web site: 2016-11-10 . Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . https://web.archive.org/web/20161110005243/http://thecwa.co.uk/the-daggers/categories/non-fiction . 2016-11-10 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
29. Web site: 2017-09-27 . Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . https://web.archive.org/web/20170927022952/https://thecwa.co.uk/the-daggers/categories/non-fiction/ . 2017-09-27 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
30. Web site: 2019-04-15 . Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . https://web.archive.org/web/20190415105209/https://thecwa.co.uk/the-daggers/categories/non-fiction . 2019-04-15 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
31. Web site: 2018-10-27 . 2018 CWA Dagger Award Winners . 2024-05-19 . The Poisoned Pen Bookstore . en-US . 28 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231128102038/https://poisonedpen.com/2018/10/27/2018-cwa-dagger-award-winners/ . live .
32. Web site: 2019-11-20 . ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . https://web.archive.org/web/20191120062931/http://thecwa.co.uk/the-daggers/categories/non-fiction . 2019-11-20 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
33. Web site: 2021-09-20 . ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . https://thecwa.co.uk/the-daggers/categories/non-fiction . 2021-09-20 . 2023-11-26 . The Crime Writers' Association.
34. Web site: 2020-10-23 . Michael Robotham wins the 2020 Gold Dagger . 2020-10-23 . The Booktopian . en-AU . 19 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231119165133/https://www.booktopia.com.au/blog/2020/10/23/michael-robotham-wins-the-2020-gold-dagger/ . live .
35. Web site: Mitchell . Erin . 2020-10-22 . CWA Dagger Awards 2020 Winners Announced . 2024-05-19 . Crimespree Magazine . en-US . 13 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210113163118/https://crimespreemag.com/cwa-dagger-awards-2020-winners-announced/ . live .
36. Web site: Mabee . Megan . 2021-07-08 . Looking Sharp: Announcing the 2021 CWA Dagger Award Winners . 2024-05-19 . Book Riot . en-US . 5 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230605170200/https://bookriot.com/2021-cwa-dagger-award-winners/ . live .
37. Web site: 2021-07-03 . CWA’s Dagger Awards . 2024-05-19 . The Poisoned Pen Bookstore . en-US . 31 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221231171616/https://poisonedpen.com/2021/07/03/cwas-dagger-awards/ . live .
38. Web site: Mitchell . Erin . 2021-05-20 . CWA Dagger Awards Shortlists Announced . 2024-05-19 . Crimespree Magazine . en-US . 21 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210521224704/https://crimespreemag.com/cwa-dagger-awards-shortlists-announced/ . live .
39. Web site: 2022 CWA Dagger Awards Announced . 2023-07-10 . . en . 10 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230710080231/https://thecwa.co.uk/news/2022-cwa-dagger-awards-announced . live .
40. Web site: 2022-07-01 . Awards: CWA Dagger Winners . 2024-05-19 . . 23 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240223192427/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4266 . live .
41. Web site: Mitchell . Erin . 2022-06-30 . 2022 CWA Dagger Awards Announced . 2024-05-19 . Crimespree Magazine . en-US . 6 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220706140436/https://crimespreemag.com/2022-cwa-dagger-awards-announced/ . live .
42. Web site: CWA Dagger Shortlists Announced . 2023-07-10 . . en . 19 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230619082730/https://thecwa.co.uk/news/cwa-dagger-shortlists-announced . live .
43. Web site: Mitchell . Erin . 2022-05-13 . CWA Dagger Award Shortlists Announced . 2024-05-19 . Crimespree Magazine . en-US . 16 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220516040040/https://crimespreemag.com/cwa-dagger-award-shortlists-announced/ . live .
44. Web site: 2023 Dagger Award Winners Announced . 2023-07-10 . . en . 28 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230828144542/https://thecwa.co.uk/news/2023-dagger-award-winners-announced . live .
45. Web site: Mitchell . Erin . 2023-07-07 . 2023 CWA Dagger Awards Announced . 2024-05-19 . Crimespree Magazine . en-US . 10 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230710215356/https://crimespreemag.com/2023-cwa-dagger-awards-announced/ . live .
46. Web site: Mitchell . Erin . 2023-05-12 . 2023 CWA Dagger Shortlists Revealed . 2023-07-10 . Crimespree Magazine . en-US . 10 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230710215356/https://crimespreemag.com/2023-cwa-dagger-shortlists-revealed/ . live .
47. Web site: ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction . 2024-05-19 . . en . 13 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231013221603/https://thecwa.co.uk/awards-and-competitions/the-daggers/alcs-gold-dagger-for-non-fiction/ . live .
48. Web site: Mitchell . Erin . 2024-05-16 . CWA Dagger Awards Shortlists Announced . 2024-05-19 . Crimespree Magazine . en-US . 19 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240519171305/https://crimespreemag.com/cwa-dagger-awards-shortlists-announced-2/ . live .